Good advice for mixing with bad speakers needed please

[drex]

Yeah, I posted this on a different site, and decided to ask my people here at Illmuzik because you might have more direct experience dealing with my particular problem.

My hobby does not deserve home budget monies, part of the deal I made with myself so I could keep playing with beats...
Long story short, I mix on 1987 pioneer towers.
They thump, and its dope when I like the beat, but I know its making my mixes come out light on other systems.

Isn't it possible for me to mix on these joints once I know what effect they're having on the sound?
For instance if I cut all the bass from the amp, shouldnt that offset the bassiness of the speakers and allow a more balanced mix?

Help the low budget dude out yall...

 

[dacalion]

Very good question/topic...Technically "No", you can't accurately mix what you can't hear...Howeeeeever, getting everything as close to flat or balanced is a move in the right direction which will yield better results.

Something that I do (probably more than I should) is rely on a good accurate analyzer. What I can't hear, I try to depend on seeing. Not the proper way of doing things but definitely better than doing nothing at all.

 

[Formant024]

If you want a critical test, pick a headphone, make a noise with a long reverb tail. A bit of headphone will let you hear a good duration of the reverb tail, then listen to it on your pioneers and check how the reverbtail comes out.

In all id recommend something honest to listen to, avatones arent expensive and are a good medium to mix on. With those you can use the pioneers as your B speakers. You're always going to need a realworld reference, im using a big ass jvc boombox for it.

 

[Lil Dude]

Yo

My best advice because i have the same problem(situation) Is to use some,, somewhat decent or some good stereo headphones. the reason i say that because headphones are built for a flat stereo sound meaning there is no curve to them.this goes for as far as mixing down your track.....
www.lildude414.webs.com come check my page out nothin special but ill bee postin beats and threads convo tips also.....also subcribe and spread the word i'm trying to build a nice community. i'll appreciate it and ill do the same for you if you have a page

 

[thedreampolice]

or some good stereo headphones. the reason i say that because headphones are built for a flat stereo sound meaning there is no curve to them.

uhh no, no they are not.

 

[Formant024]

uhh no, no they are not.

take it from the 2 techheads... NO!

not even the dre phones, id prefer hd25's over those anytime (and dt990s over those anytime

 

[Sucio]

headphones are built for a flat stereo sound meaning there is no curve to them.

Headphones are not built for that.....


ESPECIALLY Beats headphones


Some headphones provide a good reference (like my beyerdynamic dt770pro), but if you could get your hands on a pair of cheap monitors (pawn shop, ebay, etc) and use your floor speakers as another reference, you'll get a better feel of your mix...


Dac's idea doesn't hurt, but it is definitely better if you can hear it, this way you know what you're listening for.

 

[Formant024]

(like my beyerdynamic dt770pro)

who's the happy camper

We actualy got a whole lot 990's for the controlroom and 770's for the studio..

 

[Sucio]

I don't think I would replace these...unless with a pair of another....


They are the most awesome things I put on my ears.....

 

[drex]

Yeah dre is playing a cruel trick with them beats...

 

[2infamouz]

yo if you really can't afford monitors check these headphones out, i got a pair w/ a bundle deal from presonus came w/ an interface/mic/studio one but i liked em so much i copped an extra pair for sessions. Presonus HD-7's :
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...dphones/h16034000000000?src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

BUT, i def agree that you should consider even cheap monitors...Also play some of your tracks in a car w/ a decent system. You wanna hear your mix from as many different sources as possible to get a feel of what it's going to sound like to everyone not just people with good speakers.

 

[Formant024]

yo if you really can't afford monitors check these headphones out, i got a pair w/ a bundle deal from presonus came w/ an interface/mic/studio one but i liked em so much i copped an extra pair for sessions. Presonus HD-7's :
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...dphones/h16034000000000?src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

BUT, i def agree that you should consider even cheap monitors...Also play some of your tracks in a car w/ a decent system. You wanna hear your mix from as many different sources as possible to get a feel of what it's going to sound like to everyone not just people with good speakers.

if you're taking that perspective, get some avatones

 

[dacalion]

Formant has a crush on avatones =). I actually talked with a up and rising engineer about these and he said they're decent monitors for mixing but he felt like they were only good for reproducing a mid 90'ish sound at best. I just don't have any confidence in them being accurate on the high end without tweeters but their specs say differently.

 

[thedreampolice]

yo if you really can't afford monitors check these headphones out, i got a pair w/ a bundle deal from presonus came w/ an interface/mic/studio one but i liked em so much i copped an extra pair for sessions. Presonus HD-7's :
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...dphones/h16034000000000?src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

BUT, i def agree that you should consider even cheap monitors...Also play some of your tracks in a car w/ a decent system. You wanna hear your mix from as many different sources as possible to get a feel of what it's going to sound like to everyone not just people with good speakers.

I kind of disagree with this, at one point I felt I wanted to listen on every speaker possible, but now I think that approach can drive you crazy. Get some REALLY nice monitors in a REALLY nice room and learn them. Then make the best mix you can. And honestly, that's all you can do.

 

[2infamouz]

I kind of disagree with this, at one point I felt I wanted to listen on every speaker possible, but now I think that approach can drive you crazy. Get some REALLY nice monitors in a REALLY nice room and learn them. Then make the best mix you can. And honestly, that's all you can do.

how should you treat your room for monitoring? I've kind of banked on just speaker placement and quality speakers, and havent treated my room at all...

 

[thedreampolice]

how should you treat your room for monitoring? I've kind of banked on just speaker placement and quality speakers, and havent treated my room at all...

You must treat your room. I don't have time to write a novella on this topic. But I can recommend a great book about it.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Master-Handbook-Acoustics-Alton-Everest/dp/0071603328/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330282832&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Master Handbook of Acoustics (9780071603324): F. Alton Everest, Ken Pohlmann: Books[/ame]

 

[Iron Keys]

take it from the 2 techheads... NO!

not even the dre phones, id prefer hd25's over those anytime (and dt990s over those anytime

A well respected engineer suggested to me unless you're mixing in a acoustically treated room, HD25's are the way forward.


Don't mix on general-use speakers... the frequency response won't be flat etc etc. Best is to buy some decent small low budget monitors.

Best way to know how your current speakers sound. Make a beat on it, or take your favourite track you're familiar with. Play it on various high-end monitors, make notes about the differences.

 

[Formant024]

I have been using hd25 and theyre the shiznit for live applications/foh but for mixing and listening i prefer the DT990 even though theyre somewhat hi-fi'ish they pack loads of detail and dont fatigue as much like the HD25 would. Dont get me wrong, i like the hd25 as they go loud and clean but the wide and big bass display of DT990 gets my vote. I would recommend the hd25 over a beats by dre headphone for those looking to buy into that.

 

[Sucio]

I <3 my DT 770....

I was tellin my boy what I heard in the mix that didn't sound right...and he was like "yo...those headphones you got are wack, homie...it's sounding dope in my speakers"

then I went over there with the headphones and he was like "yo..this beat sounds like shit in here, but I could hear everything"

He then proceeded to shut his trap and continue.

 

[Lil Dude]

@dreampolice My bad i meant to say that they are set to what you are basically gonna hear in a car the speakers thhat you are using are normally flat My bad